GRID Legends is a huge game, reportedly featuring over 250 Career events, 130 routes on new and returning locations, 48 car classes, the return of Drift and Elimination, Race Creator, and more to be announced. Not forgetting the Story Mode (‘Driven to Glory’), starring award-winning actor Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education) and written by Brad Kane (Ghost of Tsushima), this all sounds like major production in the making.

One of the big new additions will be crossplay multiplayer across Xbox, PlayStation and PC. Supported with a ‘hop-in’ feature which should make it seamless for players to jump into games with their friends and great racing on the fly. This will no doubt help online numbers and make for the best opportunity to build a long-term and stable online community.

For all of my initial thoughts and reactions along with a stack of gameplay, check out the video below.

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So, on receiving the early code it came as an enormous surprise to see expectations not just met, but even exceeded. RiMS Racing has all of the potential to be a major player in the biking video game genre and in my video preview below, I explore this in greater detail.

In short, RiMS Racing is the most detailed super bike gamer ever made. From the bike construction, to the tuning, riding style, to the various career and options available to develop you as a rider. It may only feature 8 bikes but the range of content on there is simply a whole new level of detail and can potentially aid gamers learn about real biking in the process. Meanwhile real bikers can learn more and delve deeper into their passions. This approach also helps with developing a bond with your bike, taking the basic machinery and taking that forward step by step as you evolve as a rider and make your way through the game.

This is supported with a comprehensive Career Mode besides a wide range of racing circuits an open roads which expands the challenge and longevity. We’ll be keeping a close eye on developments with more preview coverage to follow.

RiMS Racing will release on Xbox S/X, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch on 19th August 2021.

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So, what’s new? Supercross 4 introduces a brand-new Career Mode structure to start the player’s path from the Supercross Futures to reach 250SX and 450SX categories. Enabling players to challenge the most famous Pro riders ever in the franchise history. Players can upgrade and manage what is described as the ‘skill three’ earning points during races, special events, training and fulfilling the Journal, a series of special objectives to show who is the best.

This is joined by the new Compound area, those familiar with MXGP will know that as open world area which includes various tracks and challenges. A welcome addition to the Supercross franchise, especially given the more restrictive stadium-based nature of the series. The Compound can be free roamed in Solo or with friends in Co-Op. Finally, the Track Editor is returns with more customization modules, created form 2020 Official Tracks. This year with new cosmetic options including Tuff Blox, Starting Gate structures, Finish Line and Leaders Pillars, aiming to improve realism and enable greater creativity.  That gives some idea as to what we can look forward to, now dive in and check out my video preview.

So, in general it’s all incremental rather than a technical revolution, however this version will also release day one on next-gen console and this is great news. The preview titles have all seen a considerable drop in visual fidelity when converted to console formats. Now with the release of the new systems console players can enjoy 60fps hi detail visuals, giving a far great immersion and gameplay experience.

As ever, players will be able to customize their riders in greater detail, including more than 110 official brands for cosmetic and performance customizations for both rider and bike. Also, the Online Mode will feature a lag-free and engaging Multiplayer experience thanks to Dedicated Servers. This is a big step forward and should make online far more stable for various competitions.

It’s all coming along, though there is still work to do. Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 4 will be available worldwide starting March 11th, 2021 on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC®/STEAM and Google Stadia.

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In the video preview below, I test the various modes keeping the gameplay raw. Giving a glimpse into my first impressions as I learn to control the various craft. The control being direct and though not as floaty as Wipeout, this is initially a disappointment given the obvious artistic style however, the game delivers an experience of it’s own and as your crafts improve and use of the airbrakes become more essential the approach to controller design becomes more apparent.

Graphics are impressive, craft are well designed, colour palette is the right balance in giving that dystopian feel while the circuits are enormous in scale. A special word must go to the circuit design on the newer circuits, they really are spectacular and a wonder to behold. The solidity, art design and effects combine well, and this never ceases to amaze, especially when considering this is an indie title.

Early impressions demonstrate there is still a lot locked away and this could result in a fair amount of grinding to unlock all the various elements. So, first impressions are good, I’ll be live streaming Pacer on the Team VVV Twitch Channel this week, jump on and give us your impressions and let me know what aspects you would like to see.

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Monster Truck Championship aims to be a full simulation, supported with competitions in 25 stadiums and circuits spread across the United States. So, a decent range to see and do, Race, Time-Trial, Drag Races, Freestyle, and Destruction besides detailed customisation. We’ll investigate all of these modes further in our review and video content below.

In part 1 of our preview videos I focus on many of the core game elements, along with a few clips from my GoPro gameplay videos. The large triple screens giving a greater impression of scale. While the customization it surprisingly in-depth, with some great details and spot effects on the various trucks.

For part 2, I’ve taken the time to respond to community feedback, look more closely at the controller play, various rear wheel control methods, more in-depth handling analysis, a deeper look at customisation and generally exploring the game further. Clearly there’s a lot more to Monster Truck Championship than first meets the eye. More coverage will follow on our streams https://www.twitch.tv/teamvvv so follow us at to keep updated.

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First impressions, graphics have taken another step up, improvements to bike models are clear to see and they look absolutely fantastic. Various materials convey lighting, while complex geometry is effortlessly presented, we are getting to a position of photorealism and no doubt with ray tracing and other techniques that goal will be achieved in the coming years. Circuits have also had a lick of paint and look far better than early trailers would have had you believe.

But rather than go into great detail at this stage, I’m going to leave you with our latest preview video. Ride 4 is out for Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC on October 8th and on next gen consoles early next year.

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Diving into our latest content and our first video focuses on some of the various cars both old and new while also covering a range of locations. Also combining a second camera with the steering wheel visible. The core focus was on the handling and WRC 9 sees radical improvements to the handling physics, with greater control on tarmac, better weight transfer and the ability to glide gracefully over gravel. WRC 9 is a huge improvement in the handling department, while the wheel camera featured in the video does a good job of showing off the various inputs. Smooth, flowing and intuitive, this was all a positive first impression.

Part 2 focuses on other elements featured, again it was good to see the return of the various test tracks and test area. This aspect still seems to be somewhat underused however it is simply a joy to drive these cars.

Part 3 focused on the career mode, greater polish and a range of subtle support the return of this comprehensive career mode. Great to have a single player experience with such depth and good to see it reach its potential here.

There were still online elements we couldn’t test in this preview and we’ll be sure to return to those in our review. Expect some slight delays to that review as we’ll also be testing some of the additional DLC elements post release and factoring that in, but in the meantime WRC 9 is shaping up to be another worth step in the KT Racing journey into the world of rally.

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DIRT 5 is also an early crossover release for the new generation of consoles, with Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 conversions in the works, potentially providing a high-end PC quality in the home that will only get better.

It’s probably fair to say that DiRT 4 wasn’t the game anyone wanted, it had lots of interesting ideas, some very positive aspects but didn’t know its place, be it arcade or simulation and with a package that was poorly weighted. The growth and success of DiRT Rally only served to confuse the brand and ultimately the game felt rather rushed.

So, it was with some trepidation that we received the announcement trailer; could Codemasters steer the brand back on course? First impressions from the demo released are very positive indeed. Graphics are top-notch, featuring a wide range of lighting particle effects combined with their usual high standard of audio. Vehicle handling is akin to more of an approachable sim, there is a range of driving techniques required when all assists are off, but it feels intuitive and that makes it great fun to play.

Check out our preview video for all the latest elements revealed below.

Suffice to say I enjoyed my time on the demo, it felt like a DiRT game, it was intuitive and yet I always sensed I could get more out of the car or just enjoyed the feeling of speed. Providing there is enough overall content this game could pick up where DiRT 3 left off 9 years earlier.

There’s a lot of potential and hopefully, the best aspects won’t be left behind a DLC paywall. We’ll keep a close eye on developments and crossover to the next-generation with great excitement. DiRT 5 releases  October 9 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Windows PC (via Steam), Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5.

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Car handling has been improved again this year, allowing us to better understand the behaviour of the cars including traction levels. Although I’m not 100% comfortable with the steering on mid-speed corners, I’ll certainly look at this more closely and see if I can find a balance. However, there is no doubting the Schumacher cars are fun to drive, especially the ‘95 Benetton. There’s a moment under acceleration through particular corners when you’ll be required to commit as the car is sliding.

For example, on Ascari at Monza, total commitment is required for the second part of the corner and you’ll feel the car drifting on the power. This is a great feeling and it’s an aspect modern cars simply don’t provide. Racing an F1 2020 car sees the car glued to the ground, there’s no feeling of risk, it’s just a matter of point and squirt. As long as you understand the various fuel and energy elements the actual driving and feeling from traction is far more simplistic.

So, it is with great excitement that I test these new classic cars out and feel the various performance and speed differentials. From the understeering cars of ’91 to the rocket ships of ’04. It’s interesting just how challenging the early 200o’s cars were, but at the same time cars potentially included a range of assists, some even featuring automatic gears. In the video below I’ve tested the various new cars and compared the speeds while giving additional details on my usual feed. We’ve also run races on Hanoi and Zandvoort besides a look at the new accessible handling option.

Elsewhere, Codemasters has revealed a trailer for the ‘My Team’ aspect of F1 2020, a feature we are yet to try but will be investigated fully for our upcoming review, and another official look at the new split-screen mode in action. Check out these features in the videos below.

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Developed by ECC Games S.A and now available on Early Access, the game aims to capture the culture of drifting, with the various cars and locations that make up that automotive heritage in the drifting community.

In terms of content, the initial selection is as follows:

• Car tuning garage, over 750 parts, including 300 decals, and extensive paint shop mode.
• Three exciting licensed cars to choose from.
• Three tracks available – EBISU Driftland, EBISU School and EBISU Minami
• A training mode that allows you to practice your drifting skills.
• More than 20 challenges in various game modes including Time Attack, Solo Run and Free Ride.
• Steering wheel support for Thrustmaster, Fanatec and Logitech

Now I’ve mentioned on several occasions that drifting isn’t exactly my forte, so to get a better understanding on how the game is progressing we handed it to our resident drifting expert Ed Dyer.

The video is largely uncut, making for a natural learning process in which you can see Ed’s entire gaming session, gradually understanding the mechanics of the game and learning it’s various nuances. Ed does skip the Tutorial; however, you are strongly advised not to do this as the information given can be critical for those new to the world of drifting.

So, it’s fair to say there is potential here, the content is there, the graphics are surprisingly good and the mechanics of the cars appears comprehensive. However, the cars on this first build was lacking some feedback and clearly there is a lot of room for improvement. Getting that ‘feel’ right will be critical for success and we look forward to testing a later build to see how the game evolves.

Indeed since the production of this video, extensive work has already taken place with a wide range of fixes and improvements including the addition of the EBISU North track circuit (screenshots and changelog below). DRIFT21 is available to purchase on the Steam Early Access program now for $24.99/£22.49/€24.99.

Changelog

New content

• Added new track – Ebisu North, also known as Kita
• New Time Attack challenges – designed specifically for Ebisu North
• New Solo Run challenges – designed specifically for Ebisu North

Fixes

• Fixed button sizes not scaling properly in various places in the game, such as Warehouse, Paint Booth, Settings, Driving Setup, Car Shop)
• Fixed an issue where body kit parts for Subaru BRZ were not correctly registered in Stages window (Car Parameters menu)
• Fixed a bug that forced steering assists even after turning it off
• Fixed Minami challenges where players could pass through certain props and concrete walls
• Fixed an issue that resulted in players getting stuck on certain parts of each track

Localization changes

• Small localization changes, mainly to texts used in challenges

Other changes

• Adjustments to CR. prizes for each Minami challenge

################################

May 15th PATCH rev_13440

Fixes
• Fixed a bug related to the FFB invert function for some Thrustmaster steering wheels
• Fixed a bug where the engine sound did not turn off despite the ignition being turned off
• Fixed a bug where footstep sounds were inaudible
• Fixed a bug where in certain circumstances tooltip icons were missing
• Fixed a bug that allowed players to mount rims with unsupported sizes
• Fixed incorrectly displayed in-game currencies
• Fixed a bug with some in-game windows and sprites showing improperly on unusual resolutions and screen ratios
• Fixed incorrectly displaying tire sprites in Warehouse
• Fixed a critical bug that prevented players from finishing the tutorial
• Fixed a bug that allowed players to access and spawn non-purchased parts from Warehouse

Localization changes
• Small changes to texts in Paint Booth and during Tutorial
• Added missing translations to challenge result screen and Driving Setup subwindows,
• Changes to texts and font display throughout the project

Other changes

• Small changes in the way the game saves are named
• Changes to the handbrake range based on input type and connected controller
• Rearranged result screen window to always show information crucial to the challenge
• Changes to decal history in Paint Booth
• Changes to Warehouse content (removed obsolete car parts)

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